Encounters
by Ardin
Summary: Six encounters that should have happened between Jack and Jacob. SamJack. Episode tags and missing scenes.
1. Secrets

**Encounters** By: Ardin

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Stargate or the Stargate franchise. It all belongs to whoever does own it: MGM and the like.

A/N: This is going to be a serious of five episode tags or missing scenes that show Jacob's observation of the relationship between Jack and Sam as it changes over the years. The title of each chapter will be the episode it was taken from. These set of shorts will take an AU turn somewhere around "Divide and Conquer" but the scenes in the episodes they are based off of will always be word for word as they were on screen, only the off screen/personal meaning of the scenes will change for the stories.

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**Chapter One: Secrets**

The room was quiet and if Jack had been in a slightly more rational mood he probably would have been thankful that General Carter was the only other occupant. But he had just come from a short, and very off-balancing, meeting with Carter and as such he was in very little likelihood of being rational.

Allowing the door to slam shut behind him, he strode purposefully toward the other man, taking in his startled expression with a satisfied grin. Jack continued toward him until barely a foot was left, his glare beating against his superior officer's stern features. His opening statement was shouted, his tone dangerous.

"WHAT THE HELL KIND OF FATHER ARE YOU? SHE WORKS HER ASS OFF AND ALL YOU CAN DO IS PLAY THE UNCARING SOLDIER!" His volume dropped as he pushed further into the General's personal space.

"What we do under that mountain is incredible, dangerous, and extremely important, but all you can think about right now is showing your genius daughter around NASA. You don't care how much she likes her job, or how good she is at it as long as you can take some of the credit." His words were venomous, raking over the older man painfully.

General Carter opened his mouth to speak, but Jack never let him get any words out. "I have just spent twenty minutes trying to figure out why my brilliant, strong second in command has been bawling her eyes out, and while she won't tell me, I know for a fact that it has something to do with you, SIR!" The title was spat out loathingly, and when Jack continued his volume had dropped, tone now dark and fierce. "And knowing that is enough to have me seriously considering resigning my commission just so I can beat the crap out of you."

The General's face registered confused anger, but again before he could speak to reprimand the Colonel, Jack had beaten him to action. Snapping a clean and, what would have been respectful, had the murderous glint in his eyes not existed, salute, Jack spun on his heal and strode forcefully out the door, once again allowing it to slam behind him.

The older man stood in silence for a long while, staring at the closed door. His mind churned through the 'conversation' that had just happened. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew the other man was right - he'd been too hard on Sam - but his pride would not let him admit that, even to himself. Of more immediate concern to him was the question of what kind of CO would so adamantly and forcibly defend his subordinates?

Shaking off the knowledge that Jack's defense had been more that of a man for a woman he cared about than of a CO for 2IC, the General moved out of the room, promising to find out everything he could about Jack O'Neill before their next encounter.

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TBC


	2. Divide and Conquer

A/N: For those who might have been confused: Ch. 1 took place before that episode ended. Ch. 2 takes places after the episode ended.

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**Chapter Two: Divide and Conquer**

It didn't take Jacob long to find Jack when he arrived at the SGC. He had expected to spend at least a few minutes searching, but he ran into the younger man in the elevator. The second the doors were closed, Jacob turned to him.

"Anise has told me what happened during the zatarc testing, Colonel." His voice was low and restrained, but still conveyed the dangerous quality that only fathers can manage. "I shouldn't have to remind you of the fraternization regulations, Jack. What the hell were you thinking?" His volume had raised slightly, but Jack merely rolled his eyes as he responded.

"I don't suppose there's any chance that I could have this conversation with Selmak instead?" Jack's tone suggested he didn't actually expect any such thing and he was surprised when the retired General's eyes flashed gold and a deep voice answered him.

"Jacob has requested that I stay away from this subject. He knows I do not agree with his opinion regarding the matter. I believe that ignoring your feelings for Samantha will only lead you both to regret." The last word had barely left Jacob's mouth before his eyes flashed once more and the stern and annoyed features of the host returned. Jack resigned himself to a very long lecture.

"I don't care what your feelings may or may not be, Colonel. You are the Second in Command of this base and her direct superior officer. That's not to mention the age difference and a tendency towards reckless and irrational behavior."

Jack opened his mouth to defend himself, but the older man continued without giving him a chance. "You once accused me of not caring about Sam and her career beyond what it could bring me and now this happens." A flash of anger lit his features and he exploded at the other man, "YOU'RE THE ONE WHO DOESN'T GIVE A CRAP ABOUT HER CAREER. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU, JACK?"

The ding of the elevator arriving at its destination spared Jack from further yelling and Jacob exited the box with one last quiet admonition "You're a good man, Jack. Think about what this could do to you both." A stern stare followed his words as he stepped out and allowed the doors to close behind him, leaving Jack alone in the small space.

Jack's mind ran through everything that the General had said and he couldn't help but think that the older man had a very good point. He was well aware of exactly what breaking the regs could do to both of their futures with the Air Force. He also felt that Jacob's comments regarding his suitability for Sam were entirely accurate: he was more than a decade older and he did have a propensity for getting himself into bad situations. Despite all of those arguments – ones that he had already made to himself repeatedly since the testing – he couldn't help but flash back to what Selmak had said during her brief appearance. He already regretted a lot about his life, he didn't think he could handle adding Sam to that list.

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TBC


	3. Tangent

**A/N:** So here's the next chapter. This one takes place after the episode is over, but before they get as far as Earth.

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**Chapter Three: Tangent**

Jack's stride into the almost empty cargo bay was slow and irregular. The change from his normal self-confidence blatantly broadcast his reluctance to enter the space. Jacob sat on a container against one wall, only looking up briefly from his supply inventory as the younger man checked to make sure the door had closed behind him. Confirming it was, he moved to stand restlessly in the middle of the hold.

Shifting uneasily from one foot to the other, Jack steeled himself for the conversation he was about to initiate. His feeling of unease was not calmed by the amused look the former general shot at him as he cleared his throat uncertainly.

Seeing Jacob's mouth open to speak, Jack plunged in before the other man could begin.

"You told me a couple months ago that you didn't care how I felt about Carter. About Sam. You told me I should consider exactly what it could mean for her career if we broke the regs."

Jack paused to take a deep, steadying breath. He half expected the other man to stop him there, but Jacob's only action was to give a slight nod of recognition of the earlier conversation. He suspected that he knew exactly where this conversation was going.

"I understand what you were saying. And you were probably right." The Colonel felt like a schoolkid called to account for his actions before the Principal. "But…Selmak was also right. Was more right." He sighed and took a step closer to the still seated Tokra.

"We almost died today, me and Teal'c, and, as much as I hate to admit it, SG-1 isn't invincible so this probably isn't the last time this will happen." Again the slow nod from Jacob. "I don't want to die with regrets if I can help it. And while there are a lot of things that I can't do anything about, I'm not just going to stand by and ignore the things that I can change. So…"

His voice trailed off and he scanned the area around Jacob as though assuring himself that the other man didn't have any weapons handy before continuing. "I've fallen in love with your daughter."

His tone was even and he pressed on before Jacob could reply. "I wasn't lying earlier when I said that I trust her. I trust Sam with my life; have pretty much since the beginning. And more than that because for the first time in a long while I trust someone with something more important than just my life. I trust her with my heart."

Another short pause. "I know that you don't like the idea. I know that all you can see is our rank and the regs, but I can't let those rules dictate something like this because it will only lead to regret." He held Jacob's gaze for a few seconds before turning and leaving the older man with his thoughts.

Jacob smiled slightly as the door closed behind Jack. He had suspected that this would happen sooner or later. He still wasn't happy with the idea, but he was impressed by the other man's courage and unusual eloquence.

He really didn't blame Jack for making the decision he had, despite the regulations. Thinking back to his marriage, Jacob understood Jack's fears of regret, having himself missed many moments in both Sam and Mark's lives because of the job.

His smile widened as he realized that it was probably not the last time he would have to deal with the subject of Jack in Sam's life – especially since Jacob knew that she felt the same way about him.

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TBC


	4. Meridian

**A/N:** I'm sorry that this has taken me so long to get to you good folks, but I'm at the tail end of my last semester of school and life has been hectic to say the least. This takes place immediately after the episode ends and it's a bit more meloncholy than the others have been. Not big worries though, I'm pretty sure I will have them yelling at each other again by the next chapter.

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**Chapter Four: Meridian**

Jacob sat alone in the observation room, looking down into the room where just hours before one of the best men he'd ever met had died. He'd tried going into the more populated areas of the base - the commisary, the gym, even the gate room - but nothing had felt quite right. He'd felt drawn back to the room he now sat in. An empty room looking down on another empty room.

At least it had been empty. He's not sure how long he'd sat there before she entered. He could see where tears had streaked her face not so long before, but they had dried and while she looked sad, the heartbreaking sorrow was gone. He was about to go down, try to comfort her, when he noticed the other figure in the room. Jack leaned against the door frame, watching as she circled the room, ran a hand over Daniel's bed, leaned against a med cart. Offering his silent support as she relived what had happened. Neither looked up towards him.

Her face had been almost emotionless as she wandered the room, pausing every once in a while on her trip, but as she turned to face where he stood in the door a gentle sob wracked her body, tears trailing down her face once again. The first tear hadn't made it all the way down her face before he had pulled her into his arms; cradling her against his chest, head tucked into her neck. The image made Jacob smile for the first time that day.

It had been a year since Jack had purposefully strode into the hold of the cargo ship and given him the honest truth. Had been nine months since he'd made a visit and discovered that they had had a talk, decided to see what there was between them. Been three months since his last trip back when he'd returned to find a daughter who seemed to feel out of place at her own house, but who had immediately regained her rhythm when they'd gone to Jack's for a barbeque with the team.

Hammond seemed to be giving them space, letting them figure things out. Jacob suspected he'd gone straight to the President to get his permission to keep them on the same team, though his only proof was a document on George's computer. A memo addressed to the Oval Office titled: "Saves". A chronological, dated list of all the times that SG-1 had pulled off the impossible.

He watched them, arms around each other, providing support against the one thing neither saw coming, the one time they couldn't do the impossible. They hadn't spoken and the silence continued as they pulled slowly apart, Sam's tears once again stopped. She nodded gently as he brushed a kiss across her forehead, before straightening her BDUs and striding purposefully out of the room.

Jacob gave it a minute before leaving the observation room, heading down to have words with Jack before the younger man wandered off. Stopping in the entryway, he mirrored Jack's earlier posture, leaning heavily against the door frame. He cleared his throat and waited for the Colonel to hastily wipe the tears from his own eyes and turn to face him before speaking.

"Take care of her, Jack. Me, George and Mark will always be there for her, but you are the most important man in her life now." Jack opened his mouth to protest; to assure him that he would never be as important as her father. Jacob didn't let him get any words out as he continued speaking. "She'll always love me, but it's not the same. I know that." His features suddenly contorted into a stern glare. "Just remember: Teal'c, George and Daniel, where he made be, are on MY side when I tell you that if you hurt her: we WILL hurt you."

Raising an eyebrow at his stunned audience, he pushed himself off the door, turned and strode down the hall. Jack stared after him, mouth half open as his mind repeated the older man's words. As he continued to stare at the now empty doorway in front of him, his thoughts drifted to the small jewelry box that had sat at the back of one of his desk drawers for the last six months. The one with the ring in it. He'd seen it in the store and had had to buy it, even if he knew it would be a while before he asked her, especially now, with Daniel so newly gone.

The slight smile that had been forming on his lips disappeared as a new thought crossed his mind. How the hell was he ever going to be able to ask Jacob for his permission?

_Crap._

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**A/N:** This was in a bit of a different style than the others in this series, so please let me know what you thought. I hope I didn't bother anyone with the way I wrote Jack here. I just figured that since Daniel talked to him before he ascended that he would probably be handling it better and with a bit more humor than the others would.


	5. Grace

**A/N:** I'm done with school! Well not really because I'll work for LM for 6 months before coming back for the acquivalent of a Masters, but I'm done for now. WooHoo! Anyways what this means is that I might actually get a chance to finish stuff faster.

This takes place immediately after 'Grace'. And by immediately I mean Jack and Sam have their "Cake? My idea" talk and Jack leaves the infirmary and then this happens. This is the first chapter where you need to pretend that things didn't happen in the episode. So you can keep the Sam/Jack delusional makeout scene, but none of the Sam questioning Jack's feelings (since in this story they are already togethre) for her unless you want to think of this as a Sam who isn't sure whether Jack really does love her. Your call.

Enough with the rambling that even I'm having trouble following and on with the show...

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**Chapter Five: Grace**

Walking out of the infirmary, a slight bounce in his step at knowing for sure that she was going to just fine, Jack almost wasn't paying enough attention to the things and, more importantly, the people around him. Catching himself just moments from running full-on into Jacob Carter, he let the wide grin that had been on his face since Sam woke spread a little bit further before his expression returned to a less normal seriousness.

"Jacob, just the man I was looking for." The retired General's raised eyebrow suggested that he very much disbelieved that statement, but gestured for Jack to continue. He was slightly taken aback at the solemnness in the younger man's tone as he spoke.

"I love your daughter, have for a long time now, you know that." Jacob nodded slowly, trying his best to hide the smirk that fought to break out on his features. He'd been waiting for this since Daniel's 'death' over a year ago, maybe since before even that. "What you don't know is that I have every intention, assuming she'll have me, of marrying her."

He paused to take several deep breaths, as though steeling himself for what was to come, all the while figiting under Jacob intense stare. Having apparently regained his center, he spoke again, his voice more respectful than Jacob could ever remember hearing from him before. "I know that, traditionally, the next thing out of my mouth is supposed to be: 'May I have your permission to marry your daughter?' but I'm not going to ask that Jacob."

He paused, giving the older man a chance to respond, but when Jacob just continued to watch him he pressed on, his voice almost apologetic. "I'm not going to ask because... I love your daughter and, for reasons I don't really understand, she loves me back. I would very much like to have your permission or even just your blessing, but I know how many things you see wrong with our relationship."

Another deep steadying breath. "I know you see our age difference and our professional relationship as more than enough reason for us not to be together. I also know that you love your daughter, maybe even more than I do, and that all you want is to see her happy. Given all that, I don't know whether you'd give me your permission or not, but if not I don't want to know and so I'm not going to ask."

Here he paused again and Jacob got the distinct impression that they had come to the end of Jack's prepared speech and when Jacob didn't react the younger man gave him a slight nod before moving slowly past him and down the hall. He was actually quite impressed at how serious the Colonel had managed to stay and the unusual eloquence that Jack only seemed to be capable of exhibiting when talking about Sam. With a deep sigh, Jacob realized that maybe that was all he really needed to know about how much Jack felt for his little girl.

Turning in the direction the Colonel had gone, Jacob raised his voice to catch Jack's attention. "Jack!" He waited until the other man had moved to face him before closing some of the distance between them. Giving a grudging smile, Jacob answered the question Jack hadn't asked. "Yes, you may marry my daughter."

He only just caught the beginnings of Jack's huge smile before he turned to go check in on his daughter, struggling himself to keep a wide grin off his face.

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**A/N:** Just one more to go and unlike these I might actually have them have a conversation instead of just, you know, talking AT each other. Already have it pretty well thought out, so won't take long. -crosses fingers-


	6. Threads

**A/N:** So here it is. The last chapter of my "Encounters" series. This takes place during the episode "Threads", but with some very nice AU twists. To go along with the rest of the story, please be so kind as to remove from your mind: Pete and Kerry. And please reorder events so that Daniel descends before Jacob passes. Also, I always wondered why Hammond, one of Jacob's oldest friends, wasn't there with him when he died, so now he is.

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**Chapter Six: Threads**

Jack's first thought as he entered the infirmary that afternoon was that over the last eight years he had spent more time in the SGC's medical ward than he had anywhere else on world, including his own home. His second, which he chided himself for immediately after it flitted across his consciousness, was that Jacob looked pretty good for a dying man.

He tried to keep his voice reasonably cheery as he took a seat on a stool next to the older man's bed. "Hey, Jake. Doc said you wanted to see me?" He couldn't quite stop the slight unease that crept into his voice at being summoned to his fiancé's father.

"Jack, you're a good man." The younger man opened his mouth to object, but Jacob's stern words kept him silent. "No, don't deny it and don't interrupt me. You ARE a good man, Jack O'Neill. And, while I may not have thought so after our first meeting," Here he paused to shoot a mock annoyed glance at the other man before offering a smile and continuing. "I am glad that my daughter found you…that you found each other. Me and you haven't always seen eye to eye on everything…" At Jack's raised eyebrow, Jacob only shrugged before amending his statement. "On anything. But I can't think of anyone who cares more for her, or will ever love her more than you do."

Jacob's voice took on a guilty tone. "I'm sorry that I won't be there to see the wedding. I had hoped that we'd make it until then but…" His voice trailed off as if afraid that he'd said too much. When he continued, it was in a stronger, more straight-forward tone. "I've asked George to walk Sam down the aisle."

Jack nodded for a moment. "Yeah, she told me. And it's not that we don't appreciate the sentiment, but we had a better idea." With a wide grin, he glanced over his shoulder to the doorway and stood as Sam entered. Behind her followed Daniel, Teal'c and Hammond.

Sam helped her father sit up straighter in bed before moving to stand at the foot next to Jack. Daniel and Teal'c had quietly moved to one side of the room, while the General centered himself so that Jacob could see both him and his daughter at all times. Giving Jacob a wide, almost conspirital grin, George began to speak.

"We are gathered here today to join together Jonathan O'Neill and Samantha Carter in matrimony. If it is your intention to take each other as husband and wife, please unite your hands and step forward." The realization of just what was happening caused a large smile to break out on his features as he watched his daughter step up to Jack and join her hands with his.

Looking at the happy, loving smiles on their faces, he was more sure than ever that they were going to be just fine. George's voice once more sounded in the room, this time his words were directed to Jacob.

"Who gives this woman to this man?"

As both Sam and Jack turned their heads to look at him, moments from the previous seven years flitted through his mind.

…_in love with your daughter…_

…_told me what happened during the zatarc testing, Colonel…_

…_seriously considering resigning my commission just so I can beat the crap out of you…_

…_you are the most important man in her life now…_

…_could have this conversation with Selmak instead…_

…_you may marry my daughter…_

Bringing his mind back to the present he gave the pair a loving smile as he replied to Hammond's earlier question. "I give her to him."

**THE END**

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**A/N:** Please review and let me know what you all thought; either of this chapter, the whole thing or both. I have very much enjoyed writing this set of stories and have deeply appreciated all of the great reviews I've gotten from all of you fine readers.


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